1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for monitoring a patient by using a LAN. More particularly, it relates to a system for monitoring a patient by using a LAN, in which an apparatus having no data, such as a central monitor, and an apparatus having data, such as a bedside monitor, are connected by the LAN.
2. Description the Related Art
Generally, an apparatus for monitoring, that is to say, a monitor has been originally used in order to continually monitor the electrocardiogram etc. of a patient with an advanced disease accommodated in ICU, CCU etc.
However, the range of the use of the monitor has been recently increasing and, for example, the monitor is also used for patients housed in the general ward.
Accordingly, the monitor has become an apparatus necessary to clinical medicine.
The monitor is divided into a monitor for monitoring a single patient, that is to say, a bedside monitor, and a monitor for monitoring a great many patients from a nurse's station, that is to say, a central monitor.
The bedside monitor receives data from an electrocardiogram or similar device connected to a patient.
However, the central monitor has no data, because the central monitor is located in the nurse's station away from a patient, and the electrocardiogram is not directly connected thereto.
In the conventional system for monitoring a patient, the central monitor having no data and the beside monitor having data are connected by cable.
In this conventional system, the wave form of the living body signal is transmitted in analog, and the other controls or numerical signals are transmitted in digital.
As aforementioned, the central monitor and the bedside monitor are connected by cable.
However, the cable has a very low transmission rate, since the cable transmits both analog and digital signals. Therefore, the overall system processes data late (i.e. there is a delay between the ECG registering a patient and the central monitor displaying the ECG measurement). In addition the system only processes data in one direction.
Hence, in the prior art, all the contents of the bedside monitor cannot be observed at the central monitor and all the setting operations of the bedside monitor cannot be performed at the central monitor.
That is, the prior art system has the defect that the control of observing all the contents and of doing all the setting operations, of the bedside monitor, cannot be respectively carried out by the central monitor.